Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancerous) cells form in the tissues of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis, even when diagnosed early. Pancreatic cancer typically spreads rapidly and is seldom detected in its early stages, which is a major reason why it's a leading cause of cancer death. Indeed, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States of America (U.S.), with more than 38,000 deaths annually. Pancreatic cancer is expected to rank second in all cancer-related deaths in the United States by 2020. Furthermore, the 5-year survival rate of pancreas cancer in the U.S. ranks lowest among solid organ tumors. There is no reliable screening test for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. Signs and symptoms may not appear until pancreatic cancer is quite advanced, and complete surgical removal isn't possible.
Standard treatment of pancreatic cancer, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy largely show limited efficacy. Indeed, approved treatments including gemcitabine, folfirinox, the combination of gemcitabine and abraxane, and the combination of gemcitabine and erlotinib, improve survival by a few to several months, at best. Newer therapies have not demonstrated much more success, possibly due to the thick stroma and the relative absence of abundant vessels in the pancreas.